Alien Romance: The Alien's Bliss: A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance (67 page)

“I’m sorry that I can’t carry that for you, but the rules state that the kill has to be carried by those that did the killing.” If that was the case, then I should’ve called upon the Dragos to handle this bit of business. I did essentially take its life, but it was already dying. It would’ve succumbed to its injuries eventually. “Besides, I think that you can do it yourself. Even if you can’t, you’re going to say that you can and that’s just your stubborn streak coming out.” I knew that time was of the essence and that the others were now going to be following us. It may not be on the same path, but the destination was the same.

I heard something in the distance, but I really didn’t know what it was. It did send a cold chill up my spine. That was a warning sign that something wasn’t right. “I think that we should move quicker. There’s something wrong and I can feel it in the air.” There was this tension that you could cut with a knife, a foreboding feeling that surrounded me like a dark cloud. I’d always followed my instincts and right now they were telling me that I was walking from the frying pan into the fire. I’d no idea why I felt that way only that it was like a light bulb going off over my head. I sensed that I should know what this was all about, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

“I’ve learned to trust you, Shana. If you tell me that we need to move quicker, then we move quicker.” I wasn’t sure if I could keep up with him, but I was doing my level best to do so. I could feel the weight of the carcass behind me and it was slowing me down, but I was still able to push myself. I reached down a little bit deeper for that reserve of strength that was waiting for me. I’d never needed it before, but this time it was different.

I heard footsteps behind me and something dragging behind it and then suddenly this blur of motion went by us like we were standing still. I saw the brief glimpse of an Offus strapped behind him. I had no idea where this person got the energy to move with that kind of speed. I did wonder if maybe he was the one that got his first lesson on oral sex.

“That was Nicholas and I was wondering when he was going to show himself. He’s different from the rest of us. He was born with a mutation. He has this ability to breathe without feeling any kind of fatigue. He can run and not get out of breath. There’s only been one like him and we never thought that we would see another.” There was no way that we were going to beat him. We could only hope that he wasn’t the final one to make it into the six that were going to go forward.

“I would say that he has an unfair advantage, but I think the adage is fitting that all’s fair in love and war. Don’t look at me like that. It’s a saying back in my world. Forget about it, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we make it, as at least number five and six. It’s time to grow wings on our shoes and get this going.” I forced myself past the burning of my lungs and at that moment I wished that I had the same mutation that Nicholas did.

My legs were feeling it, but I could see that Braden was also feeling it, but not allowing it to affect him. He was showing remarkable courage and strength, even though the possibility of being eliminated from this contest was very real.

“We’re almost there. Just around this corner and then we will see the people waiting for us to arrive. Lord Vadam will be back at the castle and the Offus will be collected by the guardsmen and taken back to the castle.” We came around the corner and it was like a cold hand slapped us in the face. I didn’t know what to say. The only thing that I could do was grab Braden’s hand for a little bit of support. He squeezed tight and we both looked at each other and then back at what couldn’t be. I wasn’t sure there was anything that I could say and the need for words escaped me.

Where there should have been people screaming for us to run was nothing, but the scorched earth. Bodies were lying with gnarled fingers and surprised looks on their deformed faces. This was a scene from an apocalyptic movie set. The bodies were a combination of innocent civilians and those of the guardsmen. I noticed that they didn’t even get the chance to use the energy whips to defend themselves. I couldn’t even imagine what they saw before they died.

We walked towards the scorched earth and young Nicholas was standing there with his prize, unable to move or say anything. We stood beside him and we dropped the bodies of the Offus and looked on with shock at the senseless destruction.

Book 4

Chapter one

I stood there in shock, not quite believing what my own eyes were telling me. These people were slaughtered like lambs. They probably didn’t even know what was happening. It happened, so quickly that it was like being caught off guard. I had no words and neither did Nicholas and Braden. Nicholas was looking at me and I could tell from his expression that he wasn’t expecting any of this.

“This couldn’t be the Dragos. They’ve never shown this kind of animosity toward us. What would change their behavior, so drastically that they would come at us with vengeance in their hearts?” I didn’t know how to answer Braden. It was obvious that the Dragos had become a force on to themselves. If what I had seen in the sky and the shadow above me was true, then their mother had decided to show them that they could be stronger than just pets. They could dominate with the fire that spewed from their mouth and nose.

“They’ve always been docile, but I’ve heard from my own father that there was a time that they were a terrifying menace. I don’t know about that two of you, but I really don’t wanna stick around for an encore performance.” With those words, Nicholas took off in a rush with his prize following behind him. Since there were no guardsmen to greet us, it appeared that the race was still on to get to Lord Vadam with what he had sent us in there to get in the first place.

“I think that Nicholas might have the right idea, Shana. We need to get to Lord Vadam and hope to god that we are at least number five and six.” I was still shocked, completely frozen in place and looking at the carnage all around me. Their faces showed surprise and there came a moment that I couldn’t even look at them anymore. It disgusted me and almost made me want to be sick to my stomach. “We’re just going to have to tell Lord Vadam everything that has happened here. I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t believe us. If he wants proof, then he can come here and see all of this for himself.” I didn’t want anybody to see this and it looked like a fire of Biblical proportions had gone through here. It could only be the Dragos, but without seeing it first hand, it was still just an assumption on our part.

I was exhausted and I was hoping that this would be the end, but apparently we still had a journey back to the Black castle. We would come across the Red castle and I’m sure that those that were rooting for us would be out and watching, as we paraded our prize by their front door. It was even possible that the Red castle lord would come out to greet us in person.

“This is just a little bit too much to take, Braden. We know that the Dragos have been acting funny, but would they really resort to these kinds of methods? Can we seriously say with a degree of certainty that these incidences are the work of them? I know that we saw them attack us, but maybe they were being forced to to make them look like they were responsible for this.” I was only trying to be devil’s advocate, but the evidence was pretty damning. The earth was scorched and everything that was burned in a mile radius had turned to black earth. The trees had begun to crumble underneath the charred remains of what was left behind.

“I know that you don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to believe it myself. To think that Rankin could do something like this seems almost impossible.” We were walking at a steady pace, but it was still going to be some time before we finally came to our final destination. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s an image that burns into your brain and stays there, whether you want it to or not.” I had no idea how Lord Vadam was going to react to this kind of news. He didn’t seem like the type that would stand idly by and allow something like this to happen in his command.

“What do you think Lord Vadam is going to do?”

“I think that Lord Vadam will do what he thinks is right. Most often than not, he’ll bring the three castle leaders into a secret meeting. They will decide what has to be done. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that they will put the responsibility on the shoulders of the guardsmen. After all, it’s their brethren that fell and it’s their right for vengeance that will be dripping from their tongues. They’ll want to destroy each and every one of them, including those Dragos that have been keeping silent all this time. I fear for Rankin and for any others that have not perpetrated any violence against our kind.” Walking across the bodies was like walking on eggshells. I had to be careful where I was putting my steps.

There were times there that I heard the crunch of bone and I didn’t even dare to look down to see what I’d done. It was a moot point and all the damage had already been done. There was nothing more that I could do. It just felt a little sacrilege that I would step on the remains of a body. It felt like I was betraying their memory and making what they went through seem trivial.

“I know that you can’t get that image out of your head, but you’re going to have to, Shana. We need to keep our heads and do what we need to do to complete this cycle of the tournament. We still have three cycles, but that’s only if we make it, as the final six.” This pulled me out of what I was thinking and I made a concentrated effort to push us both beyond our endurance. It was amazing what you could do given the right incentive.

“I feel like this is my fault. You say that this has never happened all the time that you’ve been alive. I come here and soon a reign of terror comes down from the sky like never before. It can’t be a coincidence. Me standing up to become part of this tournament is like a domino effect. I didn’t want any of this, but apparently somebody is using my need for equality to exact some sort of revenge. It can’t be a coincidence that the Dragos have started to react like their life is in danger.” I felt the tightness in my chest and I had a glance to see that the armor was now rippling. It seemed to be trying to encode its DNA into my own.

I wasn’t sure if I could tell Braden’s any of this, but if it didn’t stop soon, I was sure that it was going to crush me, until I couldn’t even breathe anymore. I would struggle for that last breath, knowing that I was suffocating and there would be not a damn thing that I could do about it.

“Shana, you can’t take on that responsibility alone. If you didn’t do it, somebody would eventually. You may have given people food for thought, but I think that it’s all part of evolution. We need to see women as equals and you have made a giant leap in that direction. If somebody is truly doing this in your name, then you can’t be held responsible for something like that. You have to forgive yourself, or it will eat you up and spit you out.” I knew that he was right, but it was still hard to wrap my mind around that coming here had started all of this.

I started to wonder if maybe coming here was my destiny. If that were true, then all that was happening was supposed to be happening. It did give me a moment of contemplation. I felt a sort of calm come over me. It wasn’t like I could control other people’s actions, so why should I have to hold that responsibility on my shoulders.

“Guilt is never going to do anybody any good. All I can do is my best to try to make things better.”

“We may believe that you’re not the cause, but there might be others that will try to put the puzzle pieces together. They’ll realize that everything started to happen when you arrived. They’ll try and throw blame at you and I’m sure that Lord Vadam will do everything he can to make it seem like you are some kind of curse. The next cycle of the competition doesn’t start for a couple of days. In that time, I think it might be a good idea for us to do our own investigation.”

“I know that you can hear me, Shana.” The voice had come back and had a message that I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear.

Chapter two

“You don’t have to say anything and all you have to do is listen. I would rather that Braden is left out of this for now. My name is Falla and I have this desire to give women the voice that they deserve. They need to be able to stand up and fight for themselves and not always be under the thumb of the man. I will tell you that I’m not responsible for the Dragos. I couldn’t be happier that they’ve finally decided to pull away from their leashes and become the true force that they were meant to be. I couldn’t be with you during the hunt of the Offus. The material of the wood in the forest prevents me from interfering. Now that you are out, I can tell you that my grand plan revolves around you.”

“Shana, are you listening to me?” I had two people talking to me at the same time. Braden had no idea that Falla had decided to make her presence known. “We’re almost to the Red castle. We’re going to have to talk to Lord Russum. He won’t like hearing any of this, but he won’t be able to dispute our eye witness account. He’ll send somebody to check things out, but even he will not be able to turn a blind eye.” I got this feeling like Lord Russum was not exactly somebody that would want to stand up and be noticed.